Concert Tomorrow Night

Our friend Simon is the music man! I first met him when he was playing for Tripod Jimmy, one of the best bands to ever come out of Osaka…or anywhere! Since then, he has been in so many different bands, I can’t begin to list them.

Every month, Simon organises Inner Sky, a concert at Covent Garden, a friendly bar in Kita Horie. This month’s Inner Sky promises to be one of the best ever. Goodman Bad (Simon & Glenn) are going to be joined by Spleen, Tripod Jimmy’s old drummer. They will definitely ROCK!

Also, Goodman Bad is going to share the stage with Café Bossa Sae and Koba, a cool bossa nova duo. And Café Bossa Sae and Koba are going to be joined by Kurasan, a really good sax player.

Here’s a rough guide to the night’s schedule:

8:30 pm - Goodman Bad (Simon on guitar & vocals, Glenn on bass)

9:20 pm - Café Bossa Sae and Koba featuring Kurasan on sax

10:10 pm - Goodman Bad with Spleen on drums and Kurasan

11:00 pm - Goodman Bad with Spleen


When? Friday, June 20th, from 8:00 till late!

Where? Covent Garden, Kita Horie (06 – 4391 – 3177)

How much? 1000 yen, which includes 1 drink

Drums, sax, male & female vocals, bass, and 2 guitars – it’s going to be a great night! Why don’t you join us?!

Gaijin Sounds CD Release Party

Every month we get copies of JapanZine, an English-language guide to what’s happening in Japan, delivered to Be & Me for our students.

Earlier this year, JapanZine held a contest for indies rock bands with foreign members. They called the contest Gaijin Sounds 2008. They received nearly 100 demo tapes from all over Japan. They put the best 12 tracks on a CD called Gaijin Sounds Volume 1.

The Cover of Gaijin Sounds Volume 1

Tomorrow night, Saturday June 14th, they are holding a free CD release party at Zerro (06-6211-0439), a bar in Shinsaibashi. (Click here for a map to Zerro) The concert is free, the first 100 customers will be given a free copy of the CD, and there will be live music by Abunai Jones (I love that name!) and DJ Ginzu3.

Abunai Jones (I love this photo, too!)

I will definitely be going to this event! If you want to come, you can meet me at the school at 7:00 pm (don’t be late!) or come straight to Zerro any time after 7:30 pm. Hope to see you there!

Online Calendar & Announcements Pages Updated

I've just updated our online Calendar & Announcements pages. By visiting them, you can check our Service Lesson time, Kids' Classes Model Lesson dates, holidays (including our Golden Week holidays), and special events.

To check them out, go to http://www.be-and-me.com/ , click on "生徒のみなさんへ" (the Students' Page), then click on "The School Calendar" or "Be & Me Announcements."Or click on the links below;

The School Calendar:

http://groups.msn.com/BeandMe/calendar.msnw

Be & Me Announcements:

http://groups.msn.com/BeandMe/announcements.msnw

Who Cut the Cheese?

Recently, one of our students – a 3-year-old girl – asked how to say onara in English. (Children always ask the questions everyone else is too shy to ask!) There are several ways to say onara in English – some polite, some not so polite.

The politest way is “to pass wind” or “to break wind.”

e.g. “Someone passed wind!” or “Someone broke wind!”

However, the more commonly used, although not so polite, word is “to fart.”

e.g. “Someone farted!”

Like most embarrassing body functions, English also has a few interesting ways to say onara. My favorite is “to cut the cheese.” These days, most cheeses come wrapped in plastic, all their natural smells sucked out in the factory. In the good old days (back when I had hair!), many cheeses used to come dipped in wax. When you first cut the wax off, a strong fart-like smell would fill the room.

Next time you’re in a crowded subway and someone passes wind, you can ask, “Who cut the cheese?”

About 30 years ago in Australia, there was a popular comedy book series called “Who farted?” The cover of the book was just the question, “Who farted?” Inside the book there were many old photos of various historical events. In the early years of photography, cameras were very slow. When you posed for a photo, you couldn’t smile or blink because it might cause your face to be out of focus. As a result, many old photos show groups of people with serious looks on their faces and wide-open eyes – it always looks like everyone in the photo has smelled something unexpected.

Who farted?!

"Inner Sky" Concert Tonight (Friday, May 16th)

Glenn & Simon are Goodman Bad

Every month, our friend Simon hosts a concert called “Inner Sky” at Covent Garden (06-4391-3177), in Kita Horie.

Tomorrow night, Goodman Bad (Simon & Glenn) will be doing unplugged covers of 80s pop and 90s grunge.

北堀江の外国人バー北堀江の外国人バーCovent Gardenにて

5月16日(金)２０時から

1000円(1ドリンク付き！)

種類豊富なお酒と音楽で楽しいFriday nightを。

Chill Out!

To “chill out” means “to relax.” It’s spring. It’s Golden Week. What other reasons do you need to chill out?!

Our friend Kotomi, owner of Base, is hosting an afternoon chill-out party in Minami, at the Nakamura Building (just north of Kosei Nenkin Hall), from 3:00 pm to 10:00 pm on Tuesday, May 26th - the last day of Golden Week. There will be live music, DJs, and Jamaican-style food.

There is a door charge of 500 yen per person.

Click on Inquisitive for a map.

A few years back (before we started a family!), we used to host art exhibitions at our school. Kotomi, who’s a textiles artist, held a couple of exhibitions with us.

Kotomi with one of her works

You can check out more photos of our exhibition parties by clicking on Be & Me Exhibitions.

By the way, to be "inquisitive" means to always want to know more; to always ask "What's happening?" and "Why?"

Online Calendar & Announcements Pages Updated

I've just updated our online Calendar & Announcements pages. By visiting them, you can check our Service Lesson time, Kids' Classes Model Lesson dates, holidays (including our Golden Week holidays), and special events.

To check them out, go to http://www.be-and-me.com/ , click on "生徒のみなさんへ" (the Students' Page), then click on "The School Calendar" or "Be & Me Announcements."Or click on the links below;

The School Calendar:

http://groups.msn.com/BeandMe/calendar.msnw

Be & Me Announcements:

http://groups.msn.com/BeandMe/announcements.msnw

Inquisitive: Afternoon Chill-Out Party

What?: A relaxing afternoon party with live music, DJ's, and Jamaican-style food.

When?: Tuesday, May 6th (the last day of Golden Week) from 3:00 pm to 10:00 pm.

How much?: 500 yen at the door plus cash on delivery for all food and drink.

Where?: At the Nakamura Building in Minami (just north of Kosei Nenkin Hall).

Anzac Day

Today is Anzac Day. Anzac Day is an important holiday in both Australia and New Zealand. ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps [a corps is a big group of people working together. It’s pronounced “Korr”), whose soldiers were known as the Anzacs. Anzac Day remembers all Australian and New Zealand soldiers who have died in war.

The Anzacs first fought together in World War One. April 25th 1915 is the day the Anzacs first landed at Gallipoli, in Turkey. Their goal was to travel inland from Gallipoli and take Istanbul, the capital of the Ottoman Empire, which was helping Germany in the war.

Unfortunately, the plan didn’t work. The Anzacs were stuck on the beach at Gallipoli for 8 months. Conditions were very bad. Many soldiers - both the Anzacs and the defending Turks - were wounded. Many others got sick. Finally, the Anzacs had to retreat. In that time, more than 8,000 Australian and 2,700 New Zealand soldiers were killed.

Australia and New Zealand were relatively “new” countries. Even though the Gallipoli attack had been a failure, the determination and sacrifice of the Anzacs had a big impact on the national identity of both countries.

Anzac Day starts with a dawn service (a Christian ceremony to remember the dead, held at dawn [just as the sun begins to rise]). Later in the morning, parades are held in almost every town and city across both countries. Veterans [returned soldiers] march through the streets followed by active soldiers, and other uniformed service groups. The parades usually finish at monuments remembering the war dead, where more ceremonies are held. As part of these ceremonies, wreaths [circles of flowers] are placed at the feet of the monuments and buglers play “The Last Post” [a very sad sounding piece of music].

Returned soldiers march in an Anzac Day Parade

A bugler plays “The Last Post”

People lay wreaths

In the afternoon (or the weekend before), various sporting events are held to commemorate the day. The most notable of these is the Anzac Test Match, a rugby league game played between the Australian and New Zealand national teams.

After all the ceremonies and games are finished, parties are held for the veterans. These parties often take place in pubs or Returned Servicemen’s Clubs (RSL’s). During the First World War, soldiers often relaxed by playing gambling games. The most popular game was “Two-Up,” a simple coin-tossing game. Although it’s now illegal, games of “Two-Up” are usually an important part of the veterans’ parties.

A “Two-Up” board

***

The 1981 Peter Weir movie Gallipoli is a moving retelling of the Anzac story. This movie is also famous for introducing a very young Mel Gibson to international audiences.

***

Tonight, Murphy's Irish Pub, in Shinsaibashi, is holding an Anzac Day party, featuring Australian and New Zealand beers and Australian meat pies.

On Sunday, Tin's Hall, in Tennoji, is holding an Anzac BBQ from 5:00 pm. They’ll be serving Australian and New Zealand beers and food, and playing Aussie & Kiwi music all night. At 9:30 pm they’ll observe a minutes silence in memory of the Anzacs.

Really Good Concert this Friday Night!

Every month, our friend Simon hosts a concert called “Inner Sky” at Covent Garden (06-4391-3177), in Kita Horie. Unfortunately, I didn't make it to the last concert because I was too busy. I've since heard it was very good.

This month's concert sounds like it's going to be even better! Simon's band Goodman Bad will be doing unplugged covers of 80s pop and 90s grunge. Cool Bossa Nova duo Sae and Koba will also be playing. They will be joined by Kurasan onthe alto sax. DJ Barry will be spinning tunes between sets and into the small hours.

Inner Sky - Goodman Bad, sae & koba (featuring Kurasan), & DJ Barry

4/18(金)　

北堀江の外国人バー Covent Garden (06-4391-3177)にて

1000円(1ドリンク付き！)

種類豊富なお酒と音楽で楽しいfriday nightを。

Unfortunately, I probably won't be there until after 10:00 pm. Hope to see you there!

Ola, Amigos!

Our all-time favorite place to hang out in Osaka is Ola Tacos Bar. Friendly staff and great food – why wouldn’t it be?

Ola is celebrating its 7th anniversary this weekend. It promises to be a wild weekend! If you’re looking for something to do this Friday or Saturday night, there’s only one place to go!

For more information, go to Ola Tacos Bar, Osaka.

４月４日（金）・５日（土）Ola Tacos Bar's 7th Anniversary Party!

おかげ様で７周年を迎えることが できましたほんとにありがとうございます！これからも元気に楽しくやってきま～すどうぞよろしくお願いしますパーティはまたもやテキーラ祭 ! （怖がらないでね） それに新兵器も登場です(笑）みんなで飲んで踊って誕生日をお祝いしてください

Online Calendar & Announcements Pages Updated

I've just updated our online Calendar & Announcements pages. By visiting them, you can check our Service Lesson time, Kids' Classes Model Lesson dates, holidays (including our Golden Week holidays), and special events. To check them out, go to http://www.be-and-me.com/ , click on "生徒のみなさんへ" (the Students' Page), then click on "The School Calendar" or "Be & Me Announcements."

Or click on the links below;

The School Calendar: http://groups.msn.com/BeandMe/calendar.msnw

Be & Me Announcements: http://groups.msn.com/BeandMe/announcements.msnw

Important Notice

Because of the growing importance of China, we have decided to stop teaching English. From today, all our classes will be in Chinese. Thank you for your understanding.

Be & Me's new teachers

Oh, by the way… April Fool!

April Fools' Day

Most of us take it for granted that New Year’s Day is January 1st. However, it doesn’t have to be. For example, the Celts, an ancient people of Europe, used to celebrate New Year’s Day at the beginning of winter. Even today, the Chinese – virtually 1/5 of all the people on Earth! – celebrate New Year’s Day according to their lunar calendar, which means each year’s celebration falls on a different date.

The early Ancient Romans used to celebrate the beginning of the year in spring. In 46 BC, Julius Caesar, Emperor of Rome, introduced the Julian calendar. Even though the calendar officially started in the middle of winter with the month of January, the New Year was celebrated soon after the Spring Equinox, as this was the ancient tradition. The beginning of April became a time associated with parties & formal visits to friends & business associates.

While the Julian calendar was the basis of our current calendar, it was complicated, and basically wrong. In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII decreed that the Christian world – Europe and all its colonies – should adopt the Gregorian calendar. As part of this change, he also wanted everyone to celebrate the New Year on January 1st, the beginning of the calendar.

In the early years that followed the introduction of the new calendar, some people either forgot about the change or decided they didn’t want to give up the old tradition. On April 1st, they dressed in their finest clothes and visited their friends & business associates as they always had. As a joke, those “friends” would often tease them or send them on a fool’s errand [a task that is impossible to finish; “Could you go and buy me a dozen hen’s teeth, please?” would be a good example – hens don’t have teeth!].

Although the change of calendar is now long forgotten, the tradition of fooling friends or playing pranks on them on April 1st still continues. These days, it’s common for people to start the day by telling their family, friends, & workmates something that is vaguely possible, but probably not true. Sticking signs on peoples' backs with messages like “It’s my birthday,” “Kick me!” or “Call me ‘Al!’” are common pranks played on this day as well.

A classic "Kick Me!" sign

Also, the media makes a big thing of April Fools’ Day, trying to trick its audience into believing something clearly not true. One of the most successful modern-day pranks was a 1957 BBC news item about growing spaghetti, which even included film of farmers “picking” spaghetti from trees. The following day, some people called the BBC asking how they could grow their own spaghetti at home.

A photo from the BBC's April Fools' Day new report about spaghetti farming

The French call April 1st Poisson d'Avril, or "April Fish." It has been a long tradition for French children to stick a picture of a fish on the back of their schoolmates, crying "Poisson d'Avril" when the prank is discovered.

A cute cartoon of the "April's Fish" prank

A French advertisement for McDonalds Fillet-o-Fish

How will you celebrate April Fools’ Day? Can you think of any good pranks you can play on your family or friends? Remember, April 1st is usually a lot more fun for the prankster than the fool!

The Ugliest Rabbit I've Ever Seen!

Today is Easter, a very important Christian holiday. Children celebrate Easter by eating chocolates shaped like eggs, rabbits, and chickens – all symbols of new life. (A more detailed explanation of Easter and its origins & customs follows this Entry.)

Yesterday, we received a small parcel filled with Easter goodies from my mother. Last night while our son was sleeping, my wife & I checked the contents…

When I first saw that little gold animal, I exclaimed; “That’s the ugliest rabbit I’ve ever seen!” My wife agreed.

However, once I studied the wrapping more carefully, I discovered that it’s not a rabbit. It’s actually…

a bilby, a kind of marsupial bandicoot found only in Australia.

Mmmm?! The Easter Bilby – a new Australian tradition?!

Have a happy Easter!

Easter

Without a doubt, the most popular Christian holiday in the world is Christmas. It’s even widely celebrated in non-Christian countries – Japan, for instance. I guess everybody loves giving & getting presents, regardless of their religion! However, probably the most important Christian holiday is Easter.

Easter is closely linked to the Jewish holiday of Passover. Passover is held the first Saturday after the first full moon after the Spring Equinox [March 20th – when day and night are both exactly 12 hours]. This year, Passover fell on March 22nd – yesterday! Christians believe that Jesus Christ was executed [killed by the government] on Good Friday, the day before Passover. Two days later, he came back to life, proving to everyone that he was the Son of God.

Traditionally, children celebrated Easter by decorating hard-boiled eggs and then giving them to friends & family. Recently, children are given gifts of decorated chocolate eggs, rabbits, and chicks. They are told that the chocolates were delivered to their homes by the Easter Bunny early in the morning while they were still sleeping.

The Easter Bunny with some Easter eggs, chocolate rabbits, & chicks

The eggs, rabbits & chicks are all symbols of new life used in ancient European spring festivals celebrated thousands of years before the birth of Jesus Christ. Even the name “Easter” comes from these ancient festivals. Eastre was the ancient German goddess of spring.

Even if you’re not Christian, you can still celebrate Easter. It’s easy – just eat some chocolate!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Today is Saint Patrick’s Day, a popular holiday all over the world. Saint Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. From about 1845 to 1849, there was a great famine [a time when there was no food] in Ireland. About 3,000,000 people died. Also, many people left Ireland looking for a better life in other countries like England, America, & Australia. Today, about 40 million people in America (including Bill Clinton) are descendents of Irish immigrants [people whose grand parents, great-grand parents, and so on originally came from Ireland]. That’s one of the reasons Saint Patrick’s Day is so popular all over the world.

The main way to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day is to drink beer – that’s one of the other reasons that Saint Patrick’s Day is so popular!

Drinking green beer & Guinness at Murphy's Irish Pub, in Shinsaibashi, last Saint Patrick’s Day. Green is the colour of Ireland. If you visit an Irish pub on Saint Patrick’s Day, you should try a green beer and a Guinness. Green beer is just draft beer with food colouring in it. If you have to choose between the green beer & the Guinness, you should choose the Guinness!

There are two really good Irish bars in Osaka. In Umeda, you should go to The Blarney Stone (click on the name for information and a map). In Shinsaibashi, you should check out Murphy's Irish Pub (once again, click on the name for information and a map)

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!

Freezing my Buns Off (Part II)

Early in February, I wrote about how cold it has been this year (Freezing my Buns Off). Well, it’s still bloody cold!

The view from my balcony just over a week ago

A video of me riding to work in the snow

At the end of January, we visited Hatena, on of our favourite restaurants. While there, we discovered a great way to fight the cold. It’s called “muu-kata,” a kind of Thai-style “steamboat” [nabe].

“Muu-kata”(the “steamboat” itself is not spicy – only the dipping sauces)

Be-chan preparing “muu-kata” at our table

“Muu-kata” on the menu board

Me with some of the friendly staff
(that’s Karat, the owner, on the right)

Map & contact information for Hatena
(that number again; 06-4704-8107)

Spring is just around the corner! However, while it’s still cold, it’s a great time to get into Hatena and enjoy the warmth of “muu-kata”!

March Schedule

Wow! It’s March already! Where does the time go?

Yesterday, I updated our online Calendar and Announcements Page.

You can check out what’s happening at Be & Me in March by clicking on those links.

February Inner Sky

Our friend Simon hosts a concert called “Inner Sky” on the 3rd Friday of every month.

Simon (right) and his band at last month’s Inner Sky

The February Inner Sky is tonight, Friday 15th, at Covent Garden (06-4391-3177), in Kia Horie.

The concert starts at 8:30 pm. Unfortunately, I have to work until late. I’ll get there around 10:00 pm. Hope to see you there!

Valentine's Day (Revisited)

It’s Saint Valentine’s Day! Today, all across Japan, ladies will be giving obligatory gifts [gifts they feel they should give] to all their male friends – family members, classmates, TEACHERS, co-workers, and so on. (Did I mention TEACHERS?!)

In Western countries, the custom is almost completely opposite. Traditionally, men give a romantic gift – flowers, jewellery, lingerie, perfume, or chocolate – to their special girlfriend. Recently, couples often exchange gifts over a romantic dinner. In many ways, Saint Valentine’s Day in the West is a lot like Christmas Eve in Japan.

Saint Valentine’s Day was first promoted in Japan by chocolate companies. After many unsuccessful attempts to motivate men to buy chocolates for their lady friends, the chocolate companies targeted the ladies instead, creating a unique [special/one of a kind], Japan-only version of the popular international holiday. “White Day “ is a Japanese creation, celebrated nowhere else in the world.

Enjoy your Saint Valentine’s Day – but be careful not to eat too many chocolates!

But who is Saint Valentine? Click here if you want to find out more!

(This is a "reprint" of last year's entry. Sorry!)

Zero-Calorie Valentine’s Gifts

One of our (many!) New Year’s resolutions this year is to lose weight. That’s why we celebrated Saint Valentine’s Day by giving each other zero-calorie Valentine’s Day gifts…

Lots of love! No calories!

Mayumi gave me “Until I Find You,” the latest novel by John Irving, one of my favourite writers. He’s a great writer! Many of his books have been made into movies…

(Click on the title to find out the movie’s Japanese name and read more about it in Japanese)

The Hotel New Hampshire

The World According to Garp

The Cider House Rules

A Prayer for Owen Meany [the movie’s title is Simon Birch]

A Widow for One Year [the movie’s title is The Door in the Floor]

They are all good movies. The best one is “The World According to Garp.” If you haven’t seen it yet, rent it this weekend!

Garp! Sound's like a fish!

Freezing my Buns Off!

Is it cold enough for you? I’ve lived in Osaka for 16 years, but I’ve never seen it snow like it did yesterday! When I got off at my subway station last night, I was greeted by this…

That's my bike!

A commonly misused word in “Japanese English” is hip. In English, your hips are the two bones at the front of your lower body, the ones that let you bend your legs in front of you when you sit down.

In English, your oshiri is called many things. The most polite words are “buttocks” and “bottom.” Less polite but commonly used words are “butt” (the short form of buttocks), “bum” (Usually only used in British English), “buns,” “ass,” and “arse.” (“Ass” is more commonly used in American English while “arse” is more commonly used in British English. For some reason, “ass” is considered more polite than “arse,” even though they are basically the same word. You could use either word with your close friends, but you definitely wouldn’t use them at work or in front of your friends’ parents!)

When it’s really cold, we sometimes say, “I’m freezing my bum/butt/buns/etc off!” I was definitely freezing my buns off on the way home last night!

What's Up?

In American English, “What’s up?” is often used as a greeting. It means “What’s new?” or “What have you been doing recently?”

In British English, it means “What’s wrong?” or “What’s the matter?”

In Australia, we usually speak British English. I used to work with “Crazy” Steve, an American teacher. He would always greet me on Monday morning by saying, “What’s up?” Every time, I would pause before answering. I always had a moment when I thought maybe I looked sick or worried. We worked together for 3 years but I never got used to it.

"Crazy" Steve Hard at Work

Don’t forget that you can always find out what’s up at Be & Me by visiting our Announcements Page and School Calendar!

Goodman Bad & Cafe Bossa at Covent Garden this Friday Night

Our friend Simon hosts a concert called Inner Sky at Covent Garden on the 3rd Friday of every month. The next Inner Sky is this Friday, January 18th. As always, his band Goodman Bad will be playing an entertaining mix of 80s pop and 90s grunge in ska and reggae styles.

This week, they also have a special guest; Café Bossa – a duo who perform Bossa Nova.

Sae, the singer from Café Bossa

The concert will start soon after 8:00 pm. There’s a door charge of 1,000 yen, that includes 1 drink.

Café Bossa are expected to play quite early in the night so don’t be too late.

Covent Garden makes some of the best hamburgers in Japan so go there hungry!

2008年1月18日(金)　「INNER SKY(アコースティックライブイベント)」

Covent Garden, Kita Horie.

20:00くらい～？

* Goodman Bad

* Cafe Bossa (guest出演)

チケット不要です。お気軽にお越しください☆1000円（１ドリンク付）

Unfortunately, I have to work until late, however, I will definitely be there from about 10:00 pm. Hope to see you there!

Coming-of-Age Day

Today, 20-year-olds across Japan will be celebrating their coming of age. To “come of age” means to become an adult.

Traditionally in England, people were considered to come of age on their 21st birthday. In modern Western countries that used to be English colonies, you are legally [by law] considered to be an adult on your 18th birthday (in some states of America it’s still 21), however, many people still hold a special party for their 21st birthday.

In Australia & New Zealand, 21st birthday parties are big events. All of your friends and family are invited to the party. So many people come to the party, it usually has to be held at a special party hall or in a marquee [a big tent] in the back yard of your parents’ house.

At the party, your father gives a speech in which he formally recognises you as an adult. As a part of this speech, he usually “gives you the keys to the house.” This is showing that you are now an adult, free to choose when you’ll leave and come back home. Key’s are an important symbol at 21st birthday parties.

A Typical 21st Birthday Card

A Key-shaped Birthday Cake

Another common tradition at Australian & New Zealand 21st birthday parties is to scull a yard glass. “To scull” means to drink without stopping. A yard glass is a special beer glass that is about 1 meter long. It holds about 1 ½ to 2 litres of beer.

A Yard Glass

This tradition usually means the 2nd day of your “adult life” is spent nursing an adult-sized hangover!

Coming-of-Age Day is a national holiday in Japan so Be & Me is closed today. Don’t forget that you can check future Be & Me holidays, Be & Me Kids' Model-Lesson Times, and service-lesson times at The Be & Me Calendar. You can also check for future events at the Be & Me Announcements Page.

Happy New Year!

Welcome to the Year of the Rat! Did you have a good New Year’s Holiday? Ours was way too short! Yes, that’s right! Be & Me starts lessons again today!

You can check out our January schedule at The Be & Me Calendar. You can also check for special events, Model-Lesson & Service-Lesson times, and so on at Be & Me Announcements.

Speaking of special events, our friend Simon fronts a band called Goodman Bad.

They play reggae and rock covers of 80s pop and 90s grunge. And they rock!

They are having a concert at The Blarney Stone, a really relaxed and friendly Irish Pub in Umeda, this Sunday, January 6th.

The Concert will start sometime after 8pm and definitely finish before the last train.

Admission is free!

Click here for a map to the Blarney Stone.

By the way, the “super-mouse” character in the top picture is Mighty Mouse. I remember watching his cartoons on TV way back when I was in Elementary school. You can learn all about him by clicking on the name.